4. Amending that "Northwest Woodland Character" would be further defined in city code by creating an appendix with photographs and sketches that can be useful in the development process.

5. Defining the "Director’s Decision Criteria" in decision-making (Hart’s job in lieu of developers) that will require a written record with other department heads, design review committees and project contractors.

Jens Molbak, proprietor of Molbak’s Garden and Home, was the lone speaker during the public hearing.

He expressed concern that the suggested 15-foot buffer between the street’s walkway and his parking lot was too large, citing the nearly 19,000 square feet was too much to lose.

"The five-foot quality buffer can effectively separate pedestrians from parking lots," he said, noting that he hired a consultant to oversee the situation, while submitting a written report to the council.

Under the proposed code, he said, Molbak’s would lose the entire front row of its parking, particularly detrimental in its busy season. The council decided to take up the matter further at its July 5 meeting.

The next business item was a public hearing on Ordinance No. 525, which imposed a moratorium on residential density incentives and transfer of residential density credits. As background, on May 3, 2011, the council adopted Emergency Code No. 525, to immediately suspend provisions of WMC 21.34 and 21.36 that allow up to a 150 percent increase in the development density above the adopted zoning regulations and/or the transfer of certain development rights between properties.

In the public hearing, one citizen spoke in favor of keeping the ordinance intact, and council agreed by a 5-0 vote.

The last item of business concerned changing membership requirements for the city’s emergency preparedness & public safety commission.

There are currently nine appointed (by council) commissioners, two of whom are "ex-officio," meaning they don’t live in Woodinville and do not vote on issues, which ultimately get relayed to council.

There was some concern by some that EPPSC commissioners, despite their expertise, did not live within city limits.

The intent of the proposal, Alexandra Sheeks, assistant to the city manager said, was to widen the potential pool of commission applicants, having struggled to fill some recent vacancies.

Said Councilmember Susan Boundy-Sanders: "I’m concerned about outsiders with self-interest using this as a way to infiltrate Woodinville and undercut citizens’ interests in favor of their own."

The motion to pass first reading of Ordinance No. 526 carried 4-1, with Boundy-Sanders in the minority.